The Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders

Staff

Editor-In-Chief (Print): Emily Weaver

If Indie alternative rock is playing in the background and you see a curly headed girl with a highbrew in her hand you are likely to have run into Polaris Press Print Editor in Chief Emily Weaver. Emily has been involved with The Polaris Press since her freshman year of highschool at the Ann Richards School, and at that time it wasn’t a class but just a club she went to weekly. Emily is always completing tasks, you’ll find her surprisingly calm with tons of finished assignments around her just waiting to tackle on the next one. Alongside finishing these tasks Emily also problem solves constantly. She’s constantly learning from those around her to fix the issues she sees around her, which she brings into newspaper. You can expect more problem solving from Emily in her next few years of college after her final year of high school.

Editor-In-Cheif (Online): Becca Alonso

Rebecca Alonso is living large during her senior year as Editor in Chief in the Polaris Press newspaper. Becca is ambitious, determined, resilient, fierce, protective, and would describe herself as the “cool aunt/cat lady” of the journalism family. She enjoys spending time with her friends and snuggling kittens, perfectly representing her warm personality. Out of her many interests, one of her major passions is journalism in media. She is the best person to go to for advice, and you can always trust her to give a helping hand.

Section Editors

Co-Managing Editor: Ezra Morales

Ezra Morales is well rounded, hard working senior and Managing Editor for The Polaris Press. You can catch him running for cross country, playing soccer, or working at the craft store and Trans Student Educational Resources. He is passionate about changing the world and making schools safer for the LGBTQ+ community.

Co-Managing Editor: Lily DiFrank

Lily will spare no details when it comes to her knitting, and she is just as meticulous with her writing and editing. When she's not working out the logistics and minute kinks of the Polaris Press, this water baby is swimming freestyle for the ARS Varsity Swim team or exercising her flair for the dramatics in ARS’ annual one-act play. Her essential items include Cold-Brew Coffee, classic oldies music, and of course, a pen and paper. She is excited to be a part of the Journalism community for the second year in a row, and as of this fall a member of the editing team.

Entertainment: Keyla Blanco

Keyla Blanco’s perfect moment in time is when she is curled up on her bed, with her favorite food, and a superhero movie playing. Keyla is an indecisive, comic loving, superhero obsessed, fangirl. She wants to create movies that reflect the real world and its people. More diversity, whether that be people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, differently abled people, or any other underrepresented people, in films, is her biggest passion. Keyla grew up with her family and comic books and spends time with them constantly. Movies are her main escape, and they help her see the world. Keyla is shy at first but opens up after some time. Fitting to her personality, Keyla is the Entertainment Editor for the Polaris Press.

Sports/Our Voices/Satire: Ally Wait

Alejandra, also known as Ally Wait, is the sports, satire, and our voices editor of the Polaris Press. You will often find her badly budgeting, procrastinating, playing soccer, and making other people laugh. She laughs for about 8-9 hours a week and prefers eating with spoons and bowls. Spoons and bowls are the way to win this friendly senior’s heart.

Beyond Our Walls: Gus Flores

Gus, or Gubs, Gubby, Guggy, Gubra, or Gubrothy as known by her friends is in the Media Technology pathway at the Ann Richards School. She has a passion for film, world politics, and post garage wave revival music. Her passion for world history and politics inspired her to become the Beyond Our Walls editor, as she tries to keep her community of fellow youths educated on the world around them. Gus has cool curly hair and pretends to be an edgy teen.

Creative Writing/News: Georgia Moore

Video Editor: Emily Ownby

As a musical theater aficionado and actress Emily Ownby is frequently found in front of an audience or camera, but in contrast she spends just as much time being filming as being filmed. Emily is an avid film maker and video production editor for the Polaris Press who collects playbills from the shows she attends and hopes to be in 15th anniversary production of Wicked on broadway. Outside of newspaper, Emily is a musical theater expert, a certified scuba diver, a member of the Young Women’s Preparatory Network.

Social Media: Alyssa Cerda

Aly Cerda can often be found spending time with friends, seeing live music, and working tirelessly in the clubs they are active in. They have been on the newspaper staff since their sophomore year of high school, and are currently in their senior year as Social Media and PR Editor. Outside of newspaper, they are co-captain of the cheer team, board member of GSA, member of Youth and Government, and Youth Leader for Real Talk. They enjoy being on newspaper, collaborating and using social media as a tool to instantly break news to the public.

Visualizations: Ahna Stewart

Ahna, APP’s Visuals and Graphics Editor, is looking forward to her second year on the newspaper staff. Now in 10th grade, Ahna enjoys running on the Cross Country team in preparation for soccer season, creating art, and working in activism. Ahna’s preferred medium of art is digital production, with a focus on portraits and color editing. Ahna values animal welfare, and has volunteered with animal rescue organizations, and rescued her family’s dog. Ahna loves trying new things, avoiding squirrels, and showing off her amazing card tricks.

Staff Writers

Danny Armendariz

Lucy Stagg

Lucy Stagg is a sophomore who has a passion for both music and journalism. In her free time, you can catch Lucy in the halls with her headphones in her ears and her fingers clicking the keys on her laptop writing about the things she is passionate about. On the weekends you can either find her at concerts with friends or going to see a movie with her mom at the Alamo Drafthouse. Lucy’s experience in journalism began last year when she took photojournalism and is excited to continue being a part of the #JFam by joining the Polaris Press. In the future you can picture Lucy “in a boat on a river, with tangerine trees and marmalade skies...” as well as travelling the world and continuing her passion for music by successfully teaching herself how to play guitar but for now Lucy is happy to continue writing for APP while the staff sings “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” every time they see her.

Eleanor Jeansonne

Eleanor Jeansonne spins her sophomore life into the best one possible. She does aerial arts, youth theater, and activism. When she’s not spending her time performing or fighting for change, she enjoys walks in her neighborhood. She also has several pets, including snakes, cats, and chickens. She joined newspaper as a way to enjoy and improve in writing, and enjoys anything history related.

Frida Capitán Parra

Frida Capitán Parra is a lover of spoons. She is a first-year staff writer on the Polaris Press, and she loves reading and writing, which is the main reason she joined Newspaper. Frida’s biggest secret (don’t tell anyone) is that she raps in her free time, hence her public knack for poetry. Her favorite things include dragons, puns (especially with the word “egg”), acting, playing the guitar, thinking of words that rhyme with the word concussion, and saying, “No please” (which she says approximately 47 times per day). The most common compliment Frida receives is about her cool handwriting. When you first meet Frida, you might be surprised by her quietly hilarious personality and the endearingly unique way she interacts with you. However, the most eggciting thing you will learn about Frida is that she is eggcellent at putting time and eggfort into eggverything she does.

Kaia Newton

Kaia Newton is a photographer, cross country runner, and a new addition to the Polaris Press staff. This is their first year as a writer, and they were most excited to be able to express themselves through their writing, as well as create new bonds with other members of the staff. Kaia also happens to be a board member for ARS’ Real Talk and is a huge social justice advocate. They also are a lover of reading and are even a member of the Library Minions. Aside from school, Kaia also does aerial art on the side, meaning they love doing art using silk.

Perla Espinoza

When Perla Espinoza isn’t writing articles and snapping pictures for the Polaris Press, she is exhibiting her competitive spirit by playing sports, volleyball being her favorite, and spending time with her nephew and little sister. Perla loves all things that glitter, and can typically be found with bejeweled and decorated nails to complement her sparkling phone case. Besides being one of the Press’s staff writers, another passion of Perla’s is math and she has a special fondness for her algebra class, taught by Ms. Shaama Lakshmanan.

Camille Pfister

Camille Pfister is a Freshman staff writer for the Polaris Press. Writing has always been one of her passions. At the age of 8, Camille decided to start writing short stories and experiences in a journal and hasn’t stopped since.
Her favorite activities, other than writing, is spending time with her close group of friends and working on being a good ally and advocate. Camille is part of Real Talk, an after-school club about social issues, and wants to learn more about the world through her peers and their experiences, as well as be there to support them. As a part of the newspaper staff, she hopes to reach a bigger audience with her writing. Camille also hopes to expand her writing style and broaden her view in the world by staying updated on current events and reporting about important topics. Her biggest goal for the year is to grow as a writer and learn more about herself and the world.